Chapter 52
Baozhu should be quite familiar with the capital city. From the time Li Zhi came to the capital to take the imperial examination, to when he became a high-ranking official and eventually a Grand Secretary, she lived here for more than ten years.
At that time, Li Zhi held a high official position, so Baozhu was always cautious and kept to herself in the inner quarters. She would stay in the inner quarters as long as possible, for fear that people would find out that Li Zhi's wife was a monster and that she would harm him.
Even when he occasionally went out, he was always surrounded by a large entourage of servants, making it difficult for him to take more than a few steps on the ground.
At that time, let alone Jin Lin, who was thousands of miles away, even the Rat Granny, who was said to be a local tyrant in the capital, was completely unknown to Baozhu. Little did she know that there were monsters in the capital, and that the monsters had their own little circles.
Jinlin's ship docked at the pier east of the capital, which was still a long way from the Pagoda Mountain that Baozhu feared. Granny Rat also happened to live in the eastern suburbs of the capital, not far from the pier.
Since she had plenty of time, Baozhu simply strolled along the way, looking at the flowers and grass. If a village she passed happened to be having a market day, she would stop and browse the market.
And so, Baozhu leisurely walked from morning until nearly evening before finally arriving at the location that the big black man had told her about.
This is a secluded garden on the outskirts of Beijing. It is some distance from the places where high-ranking officials and nobles gather to build mansions and vacation, but it is not too far from the capital. However, the garden has no neighbors and stands alone in the wasteland.
From a distance, the garden looked dusty and drab, and upon closer inspection, it seemed to have been abandoned long ago. There was a plaque above the main gate that read "Shuyuan" (Millet Garden), but the plaque was covered with a thick layer of cobwebs and dust, making it seem like a place that was still inhabited.
Baozhu tilted her head and thought for a moment, then stretched out a hand, blew out a breath of demonic energy, and slowly carried the demonic energy towards the plaque.
It's like a drop of water flowing into a lake, creating ripples.
Baozhu felt a blur before her eyes, and the scenery before her eyes was completely different from before. The once dilapidated entrance to the millet garden was now brand new, with lanterns and colorful decorations hanging above the entrance, along with many large peanuts and longans tied with ropes, and a large "囍" (double happiness) character pasted on it.
The previously tightly closed gates were wide open, and bursts of laughter and cheerful voices drifted out from the garden, along with the faint sound of string and wind instruments.
Two large rats, each as tall as a person, stood on either side of the gate. Dressed in festive bright red clothes, they bowed politely to Baozhu and said, "Today is a joyous occasion in the millet garden. Your mother-in-law is marrying off her daughter. Are you here to attend the wedding feast?"
But as luck would have it, Baozhu had just arrived in the capital when she unexpectedly ran into Granny Rat's daughter's wedding.
She was slightly taken aback, then quickly took out the large gold ingot that the Zhao family had given her after she rescued Young Master Zhao in Yushan County. She handed it to the large rat on her left with both hands and said with a smile, "Yes, it's just a small gift. Please don't mind it, Mother-in-law."
The gold ingot that Baozhu presented was gleaming and brand new, about the size of a baby's fist. The big rat was so startled when it received it that it was at a loss for words and said repeatedly, "Please leave your name, guest. I will return the favor to you in the future!"
"My name is Baozhu," Baozhu said with a smile.
The big rat on the right quickly took out the wedding book, wrote down the name of the monster pearl and a gold ingot, and then called out to the garden, "A distinguished guest, please come in."
A large, red-eyed rabbit, about half a person's height, emerged from the garden. Dressed in festive red clothes, it bowed slightly to Baozhu and said, "Please, honored guest."
Baozhu also bowed to the big rabbit and followed her into the garden.
Once inside the garden, the scene was even more lively, with rat-head-shaped lanterns hanging everywhere, peanut-shaped lamps placed around, and a large red carpet made of some kind of fur covering the ground, stretching along the covered walkway all the way to the large garden at the back.
Many guests had already taken their seats in the garden. The guests were of different heights and builds, and they all sat around the round table, their eyes fixed on the platform that had been set up in the garden, where several little monsters were performing magic tricks.
The red-eyed rabbit led Baozhu to a round table and pointed to the guests at the table, saying to Baozhu, "Miss Baozhu, let me introduce you. This guest is Old Master Ma, this guest is Miss Meimei, and this guest is Miss Wanyu."
After the big rabbit finished speaking, it disappeared from the spot.
Baozhu quickly nodded to the guests.
Old Master Ma, tall and imposing, nodded silently to Baozhu. Miss Meimei and Miss Wanyu, on the other hand, were lively and cheerful. They pulled Baozhu to sit between them and gave her a plate of melon seeds, asking, "We don't recognize you. We've never seen you before."
"I just arrived in the capital today." Baozhu rarely came to such lively occasions, and she spoke somewhat reservedly to the two young ladies. "A friend told me to go to the capital to find Granny Rat first, and I didn't expect to run into her by chance."
"Oh, so you're new here." Mei Mei, with her slender body and alluring eyes, nodded repeatedly. "You're here to visit Granny Mouse and make yourself known to her old family."
“Yes, otherwise, if you were ignorant in the capital and found a job on your own, you would have caused some trouble and been taken away by the Celestial Masters in no time,” Wanyu agreed.
"Is Granny Rat very capable?" Baozhu asked curiously.
“Of course, Granny Rat has lived for many, many years and has a long-standing relationship with the Celestial Masters. Whenever the monsters have problems, the Celestial Masters always ask Granny Rat to handle them,” Mei Mei said, cracking melon seeds.
“There are many monsters living in the capital, from all walks of life. We keep to ourselves and pretend to be ordinary people. The Celestial Master can’t handle monsters like us, so he handed us over to Granny Rat,” Wanyu added.
"So that's how it is. There are actually many monsters living in the capital." Baozhu murmured to herself.
She, a wild mountain demon, never thought of living among mortals. She only wanted to return to the mountain, believing that demons should live in the mountains. She never thought that some of her fellow demons had different ideas and preferred to live in the city like mortals.
Seeing her surprise, Meimei asked curiously, "What's the point of staying in the mountains all the time? Every city has monsters. Everyone keeps in touch secretly. You probably don't have much contact with your fellow countrymen, so you don't know."
Mei Mei saw through Bao Zhu at a glance and revealed her past experiences.
Yes, in her previous life, Baozhu devoted herself to Li Zhi after coming down from the mountain and never made any monster friends. In this life, she only knows Saixue and Xiaoman, who are both honest and simple. They have only lived for a few years and their minds are still not sharp.
She had no idea what monsters could do in the city.
Baozhu pondered for a moment, then asked awkwardly, "What are you all doing in the city?"
Mei Mei covered her mouth and chuckled, then winked at Bao Zhu and said, "I am a snake demon, the most beautiful courtesan in the Spring Breeze Courtyard, who absorbs the yang energy of men."
Baozhu exclaimed in surprise, "Doesn't the Celestial Master care?"
“I’m watching. No one’s died. On the contrary, men who frequent brothels usually don’t encounter monsters, and their health deteriorates within a few years. What a waste. It’s better for me to absorb their essence.”
Mei Mei's every move exuded demonic power, and she was already showing signs of becoming a great demon. Bao Zhu nodded and said, "This is indeed a method of cultivation."
Wanyu summoned the big rabbit, who brought over a large plate of peanuts. While chewing, she said, "I am a spider spirit, a master weaver at the Dragon and Phoenix Pavilion, weaving clothes."
Baozhu exclaimed "Ah!" again. She knew that Longfeng Pavilion was a famous and long-established clothing shop in the capital.
Even the clothes that Li Zhi originally wanted to make for Baozhu were mostly made by Longfeng Pavilion. Unexpectedly, the master craftsman there turned out to be a spider demon!
Baozhu's expression amused Wanyu, who laughed as she got up and turned around to show Baozhu the clothes she was wearing.
An ordinary person's clothes, through Wanyu's skillful hands, became dazzling and extremely beautiful.
Baozhu's eyes lit up.
"If you come to me to make clothes, I'll give you a discount," Wanyu said with a smile.
“Wanyu is quite famous in the capital. If it weren’t for the demon sisters, it would be rare for an ordinary person to wear a piece of clothing made by her,” Meimei said to Baozhu from the side.
Baozhu was afraid that Wanyu would change her mind, so she quickly agreed and said that she was a fox spirit from the mountains and didn't know what she was going to do.
The two demon ladies didn't take it to heart and, with a smile, introduced Baozhu to many different kinds of businesses.
At this moment, four monsters appeared at the table. The three female monsters introduced themselves, and Baozhu couldn't help but look at Old Ma, who had been sitting silently, watching the magic tricks.
When Wanyu saw Baozhu looking at her, she pulled her over and said, "This is Old Ma from Caishi Street. He runs a butcher shop and is the best at slaughtering pigs. He's just shy and doesn't usually talk, so it's not that he's being rude."
Old Ma's eyes remained fixed on the stage, but his old face was flushed red as he stammered, "If you want to eat pork, come find me, I won't charge you."
There was no reason for Baozhu not to agree, so she readily agreed.
As the story unfolded, it grew dark. The little monster on the stage finished his performance, bowed to the guests, and stepped off the stage. The lanterns and lamps throughout the garden were then lit up.
The guests below the stage stopped talking and stared intently at the stage.
"The bride and groom are about to come out," Mei Mei whispered into Bao Zhu's ear. "Actually, this time Granny Rat is marrying her adopted daughter, who is a white rabbit spirit."
"And what about the groom?" Baozhu asked.
"You'll find out when you see it later," Mei Mei said mysteriously, refusing to say it directly.
As Baozhu and Meimei were whispering to each other, a cough came from the stage.
Immediately afterwards, an elderly woman dressed in a full formal gown appeared out of thin air, leaning on a cane, and the guests below the stage immediately began to cheer.
Baozhu arrived late and was led to a table where only four demons were seated. There were more than a dozen tables in the garden, with almost ten demons sitting at each table. More than a hundred demons shouted together, creating a great atmosphere, which made Granny Rat on the platform very happy.
The wedding of a demon's daughter was not like the customs of the mortal world. After Granny Rat gave a few words of speech on the stage, she ordered the dishes to be served. Then the newlyweds, supporting each other, walked up from the back and bowed to the guests below the stage in all directions.
Regardless of the appearance of the white rabbit spirit on the stage, the handsome groom beside her was actually a mortal!
Baozhu stared, completely mesmerized.
Mei Mei and Wan Yu, who were standing to the side, covered their mouths and laughed when they saw Bao Zhu's incredulous expression.
"Do you think it would have the same effect if I had just told you?" Mei Mei winked at Bao Zhu.
“I’ve really seen something new. You city monsters and city people are really different,” Baozhu exclaimed.
She stared intently at the newlyweds, sensing something amiss. As Granny Rat led her adopted daughter and son-in-law down the stage to toast, before they reached their table, Baozhu whispered to the female demons beside her, "This place is clearly full of demons, all friends of Granny Rat and the White Rabbit Spirit. How come there isn't a single mortal here for the wedding of a human groom?"
Meimei and Wanyu exchanged a glance, about to speak, when they noticed that while Lao Ma was eating, he was secretly listening.
She glared at Old Ma and lowered her voice even further, saying, "What else could it be? Those mortals' family and friends don't know either."
Now, this white rabbit spirit, named Bai Yutuan, was still young and had a lovely, snow-white appearance. She was Granny Mouse's darling, pampered and spoiled since childhood, and Granny Mouse always gave her whatever she wanted.
A few months ago, Bai Yutuan and several demon sisters went to the capital for fun. In a restaurant, they encountered a pitiful woman who was selling herself to bury her father. Although this was a matter for mortals, Bai Yutuan had a kind heart and wanted to give the woman money so that she could give her father a proper burial.
Just as she took out her purse, a handsome young man stopped her, saying, "Bai Yutuan, don't be pitied by that woman. They are actually swindlers who only prey on kind-hearted young ladies and gentlemen like Bai Yutuan."
Bai Yutuan was somewhat skeptical, but the young master was adamant, so she abandoned her sisters and followed him with some doubt, secretly following the woman who had sold herself to bury her father.
The woman turned left and right and returned home. Her home not only had her parents, but also many sisters and brothers. What a fraud!
Bai Yutuan was still young and had seen few mortals. When she realized she had been deceived, tears streamed down her face. The young master panicked when he saw her crying and quickly took out his handkerchief to carefully wipe away Bai Yutuan's tears.
The incense on the young master's handkerchief smelled wonderful, and his hands were warm. When Bai Yutuan looked up, she saw that the young master's face was also very handsome.
Upon seeing this, Bai Yutuan, a little demon, was moved by worldly desires. She often used the excuse of going to the capital to play, and secretly went to see the young master behind Granny Rat's back.
But Granny Rat, a demon who had been around for hundreds of years, managed to keep the truth hidden for two or three times before Bai Yutuan and the young master's affair was exposed.
Granny Rat was furious with her for the first time, forbidding her from associating with the young master. Granny Rat said that the mortal young master was a nuisance, and besides, if he knew that Bai Yutuan was a monster, he would be terrified and would never contact her again.
Bai Yutuan didn't believe it, so she secretly ran away from the millet garden, found the young master, and asked him what he would do if she were a demon.
The young master said he was not afraid. He was deeply in love with Bai Yutuan, and he loved her regardless of whether she was a demon or a mortal.
From then on, Bai Yutuan was devoted to this young master. She led him back to the millet garden, knelt on the ground, and begged Granny Mouse to let them get married.
Mei Mei was saying this when Bao Zhu interjected, "Isn't this great? That young master isn't afraid that Bai Yu Tuan is a monster."
Upon hearing this, Mei Mei rolled her eyes at her and gave Wan Yu a wink.
Wanyu smiled and continued, "The problem is that the young master's family name is Shi and his mother's family name is Pei. He is a well-known official in the capital. How could Granny Rat dare to let them get married?"
“But aren’t they already married now…” Baozhu turned to look at the young master Shi, and saw that he was exchanging glances with Bai Yutuan beside him from time to time while toasting, and the two seemed to have a very good relationship.
"Grandma Rat couldn't persuade her adopted daughter, and this Young Master Shi said he was willing to give up everything for the White Jade Piece. He only told his parents that he wanted to marry a commoner and not arrange a marriage with his family. After a big fight with his parents and family, he moved out alone. With him going through all that, how could Grandma Rat possibly disagree?" Mei Mei sneered.
Baozhu hesitated and said, "Meimei, you don't seem to think highly of them."
“Of course, I’ve seen plenty of men in the brothel, and he won’t do. Just a few months ago, that playboy surnamed Shi was a regular at the brothel. I saw it with my own eyes. Could it be that he’s changed for the better in just a few months?” Mei Mei raised an eyebrow and dropped the bombshell.
Baozhu exclaimed in surprise, "Did you say that to Granny Mouse?"
"I told her, I even told the little girl, but she just wouldn't believe me. She insists that Young Master Shi has changed for the better, and I can't do anything about it," Mei Mei said helplessly.
Wanyu's expression remained calm. Seeing Meimei like this, she smiled and advised, "We monsters live long. Even if Baiyutuan is heartbroken by this young master Shi, she'll be fine again in a few years. Let her be."
“The little monster has its own destiny.” Mei Mei’s voice grew louder and louder. Old Ma, who was sitting at the other end of the table, had already heard everything. He stuffed his mouth full and said in a muffled voice.
Everyone said that, so Mei Mei could only sigh. Just then, the newlyweds were about to toast their table, so everyone nudged her a few times to compose herself.
Just as Meimei smiled, Granny Mouse arrived with her adopted daughter and son-in-law, carrying a wine glass.
She was a short, plump, and extremely kind old monster. She first smiled and glanced at Baozhu, then said happily, "You must be Baozhu. They all told me."
Granny Rat was referring to the large gold ingot that Baozhu had sent, but she didn't say it outright. She just winked at Baozhu and said, "Little monster, you're really quick-witted."
After saying that, she turned around and greeted the other monsters at the table one by one, then made room for her adopted daughter and son-in-law to come up and offer a toast.
Just moments ago, they were discussing the young couple at their table. Now, as they got closer and saw them, Baozhu couldn't help but glance at Young Master Shi a few more times.
Unexpectedly, the young master Shi was very perceptive. He immediately turned to look at Baozhu and saw that she was a beautiful female demon. He then smiled and raised his cup to Baozhu.
Baozhu quickly raised her cup, then lowered her head, not daring to look any longer.
Grandma Rat's wedding banquet was like a gathering of old friends. After the newlyweds finished toasting, none of the hundred or so monsters wanted to get up and leave. They were all very comfortable chatting and drinking with the monsters at the same table. The scene was extremely lively.
These monsters didn't say they were going to make a ruckus in the bridal chamber. After the newlyweds went to their bridal chamber, Granny Rat simply came out and sat at each table for a while, drinking with the monsters.
After several rounds of drinks, Granny Rat, having been forced to drink a lot, became somewhat dazed. Looking around, she suddenly exclaimed, "Something's not right. Why is it that the number of monsters coming from the city for such a big event as my daughter's wedding is incorrect?"
Granny Rat was very prestigious, and when she said this, the monsters didn't think of anything else. Their first reaction was, "Could it be that some lesser monsters are held up by something and can't come?" They were all looking for who hadn't come.
After searching for a while, the big rat guarding the gate suddenly appeared and said, "Grandma, Xiaoman is here."
"Oh dear!" Granny Mouse clapped her hands. "That's right, it's because the two of them haven't arrived yet."
She was about to stand up when Baozhu at another table heard the name and stood up even faster than her.
Outside the moon gate, a tall figure appeared, covered in sweat.
The bull demon Xiaoman, carrying a gift box, followed the big rat to Granny Rat and said with a smile that was more like a grimace, "I'm late. Granny, this is a small token of our appreciation for your daughter's marriage."
Before he could say anything more, Baozhu suddenly pounced on him, excitedly grabbing him and exclaiming, "Xiaoman! It's you, Xiaoman!"
Xiaoman looked down and, to her utter surprise, saw Baozhu at Granny Mouse's wedding feast. She grabbed Baozhu's arm in delight and exclaimed, "Baozhu! You're here!"
The two little demons laughed and cried with joy, and after a while, Granny Mouse separated them.
Granny Mouse frowned and said, "You didn't look well when you came. Did something happen?"
“Oh right… where’s Sai Xue?” Bao Zhu also realized.
Xiaoman snapped out of her joy at seeing Baozhu, her expression turning panicked again. Completely bewildered, she exclaimed, "Sai Xue has been locked up!"
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